Arts-based Pedagogy for Inclusive Education

Jo-Anne Britt

Graphic illustration of PhD project (Firth & Britt, 2025, Centre for Regenerating Futures)

The journey

As I write this blog post after submitting my PhD and as my retirement day approaches, I am contemplating my last three weeks teaching in a primary school. Over the last 40 years in primary schools, I have been fortunate to have taught in schools that have valued the importance and place of the Arts in primary education, and made space for them. My research project arose from my experiences teaching in and through the Arts in many primary schools and how this enabled the inclusion of diverse students in my classes. In more recent years it has been a response to the increasing neoliberal datafication of learning leading to the decline in time and space for holistic education.

Over the last 40 years in primary schools, I have been fortunate to have taught in schools that have valued the importance and place of the Arts in primary education, and made space for them.

Critical Disability Studies

Critical Disability Studies (CDS) arose from the many inequities in regular schools for students with a disability, students for whom regular classrooms often did not enable belonging, learning and inclusion (Disability Royal Commission; 2023, Allen et al., 2023). Goodley (2014) interrogated ableism and ableist attitudes and language, advocating a social, ecologic approach to inclusive education.

Inquiry Question

My inquiry question–‘How can arts-based pedagogy promote inclusive education?’–was centred in the constructivist (interpretivist) and critical paradigms. Dewey (1997) promoted selective experiences as essential for growth in education. Freire (1998), followed by Giroux (2011) advocated critical pedagogies that developed students’ ability to critically think about and respond to injustice in the world around them.

How can arts-based pedagogy promote inclusive education?’

Methodology

My multi method, qualitative study investigated two focus students’ responses to arts-based pedagogies in their regular grade 3/4 classroom activities through participant observation. I also interviewed their two main teachers and teacher aides who worked with the classes, to get their perspectives on the use of arts-based pedagogies for inclusive education. Further data that was analysed utilising Critical Discourse Analysis (Janks, 1997) included Individual Education Plans.

 Findings

There were some surprises in the process of collecting data. The two focus students, who both experienced difficulties in literacy and numeracy, were seen to respond in very different ways to diverse forms of arts-based pedagogies. One student flourished through music, dance and drama, the other demonstrated leadership and confidence in both individual and groupwork using media and visual arts.

The findings of the study were organised around three central areas: Communication, Social Connection and Learning. Arts-based pedagogies enabled and promoted the focus students’ ability to comprehend and communicate their learning. They engaged the students in their learning, resulting in growth in social, academic and personal capabilities. Arts-based pedagogies also enabled choice in modes of communication and learning, enabling agency and self-efficacy. Social connection and belonging were promoted through the collaborative and social group work initiated through arts-based pedagogies.

The findings of the study were organised around three central areas: Communication, Social Connection and Learning. Arts-based pedagogies enabled and promoted the focus students’ ability to comprehend and communicate their learning.

Further Research

As we continue to traverse the current nature of neoliberal education based on structured slideshow learning, explicit and repetitive learning structures and testing regimes, critical arts-based pedagogies are a form of subtle resistance and disruption. Inclusive education must be one that is holistic, critical and enactive of all students’ senses of belonging to a community and being/becoming agents of their own learning.

As we continue to traverse the current nature of neoliberal education based on structured slideshow learning, explicit and repetitive learning structures and testing regimes, critical arts-based pedagogies are a form of subtle resistance and disruption.

The beauty of arts-based pedagogies is that many students thrive in education that incorporates alternate ways of being, becoming and learning. Further longer and broader research study is required into how arts-based pedagogy is, or is not deployed in primary and secondary schools for Inclusive Education, why these pedagogies are often not included as adjustments in Individual Education Plans for students with a disability and how teachers and teacher aides can be better trained to employ them, at point of need or inclusive planning, as a critical pedagogy.

j.britt@research.deakin.edu.au

https://artsbasedpedagogy.wordpress.com

References

Allen, K.-A., Boyle, C., Sharma, U., Patlamazoglou, L., Pentaris, P., Grové, C., Yared, H., Berger, E., Gamble, N., Morris, Z. A., Finefter-Rosenbluh, I., Morgan, M., & May, F. (2023). Belonging as a Core Construct at the Heart of the Inclusion Debate, Discourse, and Practice. In C. Boyle & K.-A. Allen (Eds.), Research for inclusive quality education : leveraging belonging, inclusion, and equity. Springer.

Dewey, J. (1997). Experience and education. Free Press.

Freire, P. (1998). Pedagogy of freedom: Ethics, democracy, and civic courage (P. Clarke, Trans.). Rowman & Littlefield.

Giroux, H. A. (2011). On critical pedagogy. New York : Continuum International Publishing Group.

Goodley, D. (2014). Dis/ability studies : theorising disablism and ableism. Routledge.

Janks, H. (1997). Critical Discourse Analysis as a Research Tool. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 18(3), 14. https://doi.org/10.1080/0159630970180302

Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. (2023). Final Report: Inclusive education, employment and housing: Part A. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia